1. Technical Field
This document relates to zero VOC coating, laminating, and casting compositions.
2. Background Art
Compliance with environmental regulations is a significant issue in the coating, laminating, and casting industries. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as styrene, are typically used in conventional compositions and are released as hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) during mixing, processing, curing, and fielding.
VOCs pose significant fire hazards, which makes fire insurance difficult and expensive to obtain for companies. Furthermore, VOCs pose potential health hazards. Moreover, VOCs are considered a hazard to clean air contributing to ozone (smog) formation.
Accordingly, VOCs have gained the attention of governmental regulators on the federal (e.g., EPA), state (e.g., EPA), regional (e.g. Air Quality Management Districts such as the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) of Southern California), and local levels. Regulations limit the amount of VOCs emitted that are acceptable. Since many companies cannot comply with these regulations, they are forced to either lower their production or install/operate an emission control system at a cost of millions of dollars to remove or reduce styrene emissions.